Clutch mechanism



INVENTOR. Romeo M. A/araone B i; g K

TfiiNEYTW J 3 M E 7 W W 8 IF mwm J 7 9 W i f. E 7 3 8 w E March 12, 1940.

v Patented Mar. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES CLUTCH MECHANISM Romeo M. Nardone, Eastvorange, N. J., assignor to Eclipse Aviation Corporation, East Orange, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 5, 1936, Serial N0. 109,375

2 Claims.

This invention relates to clutch mechanism, andparticularly to clutches of the class including both frictionally and positively driving elements.

.The object of the invention is to provide an improved clutch mechanism of the character indicated, the improvements being in those features of construction and mode of operation which are pointed out in the following detailed description of the embodiment of the invention which is illusl0 trated in the accompanying drawing.

It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustration only, and is not designed as a definition of the limits of theinvention, reference being had to the appended claims for this purpose.

In the drawing-- v Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 22 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 33 of Fig. 1.

The clutch illustrated is of a type functioning I .normally as a positive non-slipping clutch but initially as a slipping or friction coupling adapted to permit gradual picking up of the load, the elements constituting the normal path of torque transmission being the clutch members H and 12, the former of which is keyed or splined to a shaft [5 to be driven, while the internally toothed clutch member. 12, adapted to mesh with and rotate the clutch member H, is rotatably connected to a driving shaft 13. A reducedvportion 14 of the shaft 13 preferably extends into the hollow shaft l5 and relative rotation between the said shafts 13 and I5 during initial clutch operation is facilitated by the provision of suitable bearings 16.

Normally the clutch member 12 is yieldably held against axial movement on the shaft 13 by the action of a coiled compression spring 11 upon 40 a set of detents I8 engageable with an annular groove in the teeth or splines of the hub portion 19 of the clutch member 12, but is movable from this position by operation of the shifter mechanism which engages the said hub 19 and includes 45 a yoke 8! pivotally connected with the plunger operating rod 41 by means of arm 82 and rock shaft 83, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Upon actuation of this shifter mechanism clutch member I2 moves to the left and carries with it the 50 driving element 84 to cause thecone-shaped outer rim 85 thereof to move into-frictional engagement with the correspondingly shaped inner surface of the driven element 86 the hub portion 81 of which is keyed or splined to the shaft l5 as indicated. 5 In this manner torque is gradually applied to the ejection of said aperture-mounted means from driven element 86 and the connection is such that teeth of the clutch member 12 do not become fully meshed with those of the clutch memb r H until after the degree of contact between the parts 85 and 86 has become sufficiently firm to cause the 5 clutch member 12 to slide beyond and overcome the restraining effect of the 's'pring'pressed detents 9| which engage the peripheral groove 89 in splines 92 in the outer surface of the clutch member 12 and constitute the means for causing the driving member of the clutch to move withthe saidclutch member I2 during the initial operation of the clutch. After the clutch has been moved sufficiently to produce full engagement between the teeth 12 and H the detents 18 will register with a second annular groove 93 in the splines of the hub 19 and will thus tend to hold the clutch in the engaged position pending return to the non-engaged position indicated in Fig. 1.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination with driving and driven shafts, of a pair of inter-engageable toothed elements for coupling said shafts, to cause the former to rotate the latter, and means for frictionally rotating the driven toothed element prior to the engagement of the driving toothed element therewith, said last-named means including a radially apertured friction shoe carrying element surrounding said driving toothed element, and 30 movable axially therewith to impart rotation to said driven toothed element, means mounted in the radial apertures of said friction shoe carrying element and engaging cammed recesses in the surface of said driving toothed element for causing said driving. toothed element and said friction shoe carrying element to move axially as a unit, means for positioning said toothed elements to insure partial inter-engagement thereof prior to said cammed recesses, and additional spring means mounted in said radial apertures for producing a frictional drive to said driven element tionally rotating the driven toothed element prior t to the engagement of the driving'toothedelement therewith, said last-named means including a radially apertured element surrounding said driving toothed element, and movable axially therewith to impart rotation to said driven toothed move axially as a unit, means for positioning said toothed elements to insure partial inter-engagement thereof prior to ejection of said aperturemounted means from said cammed recesses, and additional spring means mounted in said radial apertures for producing a'frictional drive to said driven element prior to first contact of the driving 5 teeth with the driven teeth.

RODEO M. NARDONE. 

